bridqer

I need an audio solution for two digital outputs. This is going in my Dakota without a HU and I don't really need lots power. Most important to me is ease of control and reliability. If anyone knows what works I would like to read about it.

I like option 1 because I eliminate some hardware(CPU usage, drivers and possible resume problems). I just don,t know if the R5.1MT amp will mix the two inputs or how volume is controlled on a digital signal. How would I controll the volume on the XM Direct?

Option 3 solves the volume questions, but if I do that is there any advantage of using the Octane-R - R5.1MT? Are the Audigy2 NX analog outputs good enough for regular amps? With option 4 I could use any amps I like(I don't know how good Phoenix Gold is) and have lots of power, but I don't need it. Option 4 could also take up more space.

This is the amp i have been looking at:
Phoenix Gold Octane-R - R5.1MT

1. MII digital coax out-> & XM Direct toslink out-> to ->->Octane-R - R5.1MT

2. MII usb-> to ->Audigy2 NX toslink out-> & XM Direct toslink out-> to ->->Octane-R - R5.1MT

3. MII usb-> & XM Direct toslink out-> to ->->Audigy2 NX toslink out-> to ->Octane-R - R5.1MT

4. MII usb-> & XM Direct toslink out-> to ->->Audigy2 NX 5.1 analogs out-> to ->Octane-R - R5.1MT or Any Amps

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RedGTiVR6

Alpine PXA-H700???

PXA-H700

or am I not understanding your question completely?

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bridqer

I was trying to find out If I coud eliminate the need for a usb sound card by using the spdif out on the MB. As it turns out I used the r5.1mt amp and control the volume and select between inputs with the remote(no sound card). So it is all installed. I kind of miss a knob for volume control but I think I'll get over it. The product you linked and others like it are better but take up more room than I was willing to make in the cab of my truck. Currently the interior looks stock except the screen in the dash.

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wysocki

How are you getting 5.1 from XM? I have an XMpcr Toslink and an Audigy 2NX but the Audigy doesn't do any EQ or DSP on the stereo XM signal so all I get is two channels up front from the XM (grrr!). I was thinking I might have to go MAJOR bucks and get the Alpine PXA-H701 but it looks like I also will need the control unit so we're now around $600 just to get XM with EQ/DSP5.1. Ouch! Pricey and I can't even control it with the PC. Are there any other options to get eq/dsp5.1 from a stereo source?

RedGTiVR6

you can controll it without the controll unit - you just need an alpine that will do those same functions...lol

honnestly, I don't understand why the need for 5.1 with XM? it's not exactly great quality sound to begin with???

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wysocki

It's just that I have 5.1 amps and it's pretty cool for DVD in the pc. For my mp3's I have the Audigy synth the rear channels and center as well as splitting off the bass to my subwoofer and bass shakers under the seat. I'd just like to be able to get the XM beefed up a bit (especially getting it to the subs). The XMpcr Toslink is actually not all that bad unless I'm sitting with the engine off just listening.

RedGTiVR6

XM is music, music doesn't play in 5.1, it's left and right stereo.....

as for getting only the two front channels.....what is your setup? that sounds screwy....hehe

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wysocki

Well, music is stereo if your sitting in front of the band, but I'm a musician and I almost always hear it surrounding me And I can't live without my subs (I've really gotten used to the "feel" of a solid bass line since I'm sometimes sitting on the bass amp at a gig).

Anyway, I bought the Audigy 2NX soundcard because it has Toslink, does 5.1, and has eq/dsp. Unfortunately, the Toslink (or line-in) DON'T get processed by the computer, just passed onto the six output lines and since it's 2 channel in, I get 2 channel out. Their ads say they do eq/dsp for "all your stereo music" but don't mention that it doesn't apply to the input lines. There are a LOT of guys in this forum that are ****ed off over this Audigy situation.

RedGTiVR6

bass is, or should be nondirectional....or omnidirectional if you prefer

you should be getting bass no matter what if your setup is right

what amps are you running? do you only have input to one of your amps or something?

what you are saying just simmly makes no sense to me...lol

why would you not be getting any bass?

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wysocki

I'm getting bass, just not to my subs/shakers. The audigy only plays the front two channels out with the XMpcr Toslink at the input. It does no signal splitting to the sub unless it's internal to the computer, like mp3 or dvd. Tell me this isn't lame!

RedGTiVR6

lame - so don't run the toslink, problem solved no? yeah it's analog otherwise, but you have the sound you want, besides that, the quality of XM is so poor anways, not like a digital signal is going to make it sound that much better anyways....

??????

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wysocki

Well, I could even LIVE with analog if I had to, BUT the Audigy does not process ANY input lines, Toslink / Line-In / Mic-In. In fact, the volume control combines line-in and mic-in on one slider so you have no control there! I have mic-in being used for my voice activation mic so I don't want to put the XM on the line-in with it. I'm thinking maybe about just scrapping the Audigy and running my pc and xm into a dedicated eq/dsp unit (which is where the Alpine came into play). I'd lose the 5.1 for my DVD but I rarely use it anyway. It's just irritating to NOT be able to use my 5.1 amps/speakers as I wish.

RedGTiVR6

look at a different sound card then...lol

I'm running the alpine unit, but honnestly, for music you don't need 5.1, i'm running it for SQ reasons, I need the adjustability, I could honnestly care less about 5.1 in a car...it seems pointless to me, but to each their own!

5.1 is reserved for movies, sacd, dvd audio.....otherwise it's just normal music, recorded in left and right channels, the bass is redirected from your mids and highs to your subs by your amps

something isn't coming though this conversation correctly, because it's coming across to me that your using terms in the wrong ways and in the wrong places so it's throwing me off....or I'm not reading what you are saying in the right way....lol

now I'm not saying that you don't know what you are tallking about, so please don't take it like that, please.

Just trying to get the communication thing down so I can help out if possible....lol

So you have:

sound card -> 4 channel amplifier? 5 channel amplifier? 2 channel amplifier? an amplifier that does 5.1 processing? what?

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wysocki

Epia M10000N Mobo
Xenarc touchscreen
XMpcr Toslink
Navivoice / Frodoplayer frontend
Audigy 2NX USB soundcard
Memphis 4 ch amp (fronts and rears)
Memphis 2 ch amp (center and bass shaker)
Bazooka 200w 10" tube (I know )
Focal 6.5 3way in front
Focal 5.25 2 way in rear

Wanna sell your Alpine?
(Sorry about hijacking your thread, Bridger)

Squid

I never realized that the Audigy NX did the front 2 speakers only with a toslink also...
Man that is lame... guess that shoots the idea of adding XM thru optical someday

GTi.. your misunderstanding him... the Audigy inputs only put out what they receive.
2 channels in only gets you output on the front speakers. Leaving your rear speakers,
center and sub channels all unused. I knew the analog line-in did this.. but
never thought the toslink input would do it.. grr...
Where as any 2-channel media played in the pc gets processed by the Audigy
and upmixed to a 5.1 stereo sound...

You would think creative labs would just make a driver that "processed" all incoming
sounds and output over all 6 channels by now...

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CarPuter: Dell P3-500 Laptop; D-Link WiFi; Deluo GPS; D-Link Radio; iMac DVD w/ ide2usb
Audio: Audigy 2 NX; Kicker KX700.5 amp; 20w center amp; Kicker L7 10" Sub
Display: Lilliput 7" TouchScreen
CarPuter Install